What connections are used from set top box to TV (such as SCART) ?

1. SCART on STB to SCART on TV. This provides the best possible connection, with stereo sound and "RGB" highest quality connection;

2. SCART on STB to composite on TV. Older TVs without SCART connections usually have "composite" inputs, usually three "phono" sockets (often red, white and yellow). This offers stereo sound and good picture quality. You will need a special cable from a high-street retailer.

3. UHF ("aerial lead") box to TV. This requires that the STB you choose (all Sky, MOST Freeview) has a UHF output. You will need to "tune" the TV into the box, and you will get OK pictures and only mono sound.

If you are stuck with mono or poor quality sound on the TV, you can still use the SCART output (and the same cable as 2) to a separate amplifier to listen in stereo.

Daisy: If your TV only has external input facilities in the form of A/V sockets (the coloured ones) then the only way to get it to work with the Virgin box is by using either the type of cable suggested to you by whoever, or alternatively using a normal scart lead into an adaptor plugged into the Virgin boxes scart socket, both of these items available in places such as Poundland.

The HDMI lead is only required for HD operation, and something which obviously will not apply with your old TV and as such just left out of the equation.

I have bought a new tv which does not have a scart octet. I want to connect it o my old sky box. There is no aerial point in the bedroom. I hav tried an aerial lead, a scart to phono lead and a very expensive hdmi to scart a darter. Nine have given me a picture through sky. Can anyone help?

Sam: You have to run a coax from your Sky boxes RF1 output socket through to the aerial socket of your new TV, then follow this by carrying out a scan on the new TV "whilst its set on analogue" to pick up the channel used by the Sky boxes RF1 modulator.

The point to remember being, that you will not get stereo sound via an RF link of that nature.

After (or if) you have managed to get the Sky side working, if you then connect your normal aerial into the Sky boxes aerial input socket this will enable the Freeview signal to pass through the Sky box and picking up the analogue modulators output in the process, both signals then travelling to your new TV.

On your new TV you can select to view either Sky or Freeview by simply putting the TV on either DVB for Freeview, or alternatively analogue for Sky.

A point to note being, that with so many transmitters changing over the high powered operation its possible the the Sky boxes modulator might be using one of channels used by Freeview, this affecting either Freeview or the analogue picture dependant on the strength of the signal being received.

russ: In order to provide an appropriate answer to your question two points concerning same have to be known.

Does your Freeview box have one or two scart sockets? and with regards to the VCR what mode (Freeview or Sky) are you intending to use it for recording from? and with it being assumed that the VCR referred to is an old analogue only device and not part of a combi unit.

russ: I RECORD ON SKY, THE VCR HAS 2 SCART SOCKETS 1 SAYS TV THE OTHER SAYS DECODER. THE FREEVIEW BOX HAS 1 SCART SOCKET. I HAD IT WORKING UNTIL I SWAPPED THE TV CABINET.I SHOULD HAVE MARKED WHERE THE CABLES WERE BEFORE I CHANGED THE CABINET

Hi All
I've just had a Samsung smart TV which I'm trying to hook up to a Virgin tivo box. Do I need to do this via a SCART lead and a HDMI cable? I know I need HDMI to see HD channels but what about normal digital channels which arnt in HD - do I still need the scart lead to see them?

how can i connect my phillps dvd recorder to record the tv i can play dvds but it will not connect to tv i am using scart do i have to use some other cable i followed the instructions from when i had a tv and digi box but this modern tv has freeview built in

i have a bravia tv with hd when the freeview came out i retuned it and got the 4 hd programmes a couple of weeks later i had to retune as one of the programmes was moving when i did the retune low and behold no hd programmes i have tried umteen time since and still no hd on the freeview what could have happened

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